Becoming
by Melinda Sandy Halliwell
Summary: Gaia chooses a girl, but can the others accept her and the bond form? SilMil story of the Shitennou.
1. Chapter 1

Siobhan pushed her way to the front of the crowd. She did not fully understand what had triggered the search, but Zoisite was touring the north, looking for the one who would take his place at court. Neither did she know how he picked which towns and villages to try, but she knew that he was in the right one, the last he would need to search.

All of the boys of the small town in Eire between the ages of five and ten were assembled on the platform in the town square, with the rest of the town gathered around, anxious to see if one of their own would be chosen to train as a Shitennou, as _their_ Shitennou.

Siobhan already knew the answer to that. On the night that she and Cearul were born seven years ago, there were portents that had announced that the next King of the North had been born. Of course, his mother, wracked with the pain and effort of giving birth to the children, and his father, pacing in the living room, were oblivious to the alignment of stars or the movement of the Selkie. They did not know that in a palace miles away an older man exalted in knowing that he would soon be joining his brothers, the only one of the current Shitennou to have served two kings and seen the birth of the next, or that his sons were relieved that the blessing and curse had passed from their family.

The next day, they did learn the meanings of all these events. The town seer had come to see the babes, to give her blessing, but she came with more than that, with words of doom and promise. She had told the new parents that they had brought forth the next Guardian, not to the current king, but to the young prince, less than a year old himself.

So as Siobhan forced her way to the front of the crowd, her eyes sought her brother's. The Seer had not told anyone else, but as her green eyes met with her twin's, she saw his confidence. The other boys were figidity, unable to stand still, nervous energy radiating off of them. Cearul stood straight and proud, smiling with certainty. He winked to her and clasped his hands in front of him for a moment, his promise that he would not abandon her.

She nodded as she clasped her hands in front of her in return. She made a face at him then, causing him to laugh, and the other boys turned to glare at the boy with the red highlights in his blonde hair, angry that he was relaxed enough to demonstrate such mirth.

A hush fell over the crowd, and Siobhan turned to see an older man with poise and majesty walk onto the stage. He wore a uniform of white, trimmed with gold, but in the place of the gold cloak that represented his position as a guardian of the Golden Kingdom, he wore a deep green edged in ermine as King of the North.

Siobhan tilted her head as she studied the man, drawn to him. This was the man who would be training her twin, the man who would, at least in some ways, take her closest friend from her, and yet rather than harboring resentment to this man, her king, she was fascinated by him. She felt a hand on her back, and realized that everyone else was bowing to him, and she bowed in obedience to the familiar hand of her father on her back, but did not take her eyes off of him. She wondered if she should feel awe and why all she felt was fascination.

"Rise, please." The man smiled, and as Siobhan stood, she noticed that it was a warm smile. This was a man who truly cared about the little people that he ruled and served. "As you know, I have been searching for my successor, for the one who will serve the King as one of his Shitennou after I pass and will be your King. I warn you that it is not a task to be taken lightly. In fact, with all the honor and privilege comes a great burden. I would not trade my time in service to you, or to Theseus or his father before him, but it has come at a cost. One I pay willingly. I say this not to cause you to fear for your sons who stand up here, hopeful candidates, but so that you understand the gravity."

"No one will be forced into this. Should the right candidate be found among your sons, he will have a choice. I fear, he can only have twenty-four hours to chose, and because of his age, it will be up to you, his parents and loved ones, to help him weigh the options. There is no shame, no dishonor, and no repercussions should he chose to remain." His eyes were earnest, "I plead with you to make the decision that is right for him."

The blonde girl with the halo of curls wanted to laugh. She felt her father's hand tighten on her shoulder and looked up at him, seeing the same amusement in his eyes. Cearul had had more than twenty-four hours to contemplate the consequences. Their parents may be simple farmers, but it had been a life that made them happy, and they did wonder what it would mean for their son to not to be able to have a simple life, to be burdened with obligations and responsibilities that they could not imagine. Yet, they had watched Cearul, and believed he would be able to bear up under the weight.

Siobhan turned her attention back to the king and smiled. The decision had not been made lightly, but it had already been made.

Zoisite then turned his back to the crowd and surveyed the boys standing before him. Siobhan watched as he held out a stone, a light green streaked with deep red before him. Slowly, he walked before the boys, stopping occasionally.

He stopped at Breanden, momentarily touching his shoulder as he stood before him. Shaking his head slightly, he patted his shoulder and moved forward. The brunette sighed in relief as the man moved to the next boy in the line.

At Ethan, he placed the stone in the boy's hand for just a moment before taking it back. Unlike Breanden, Siobhan saw disappointment in Ethan's eyes, as the oldest allowed to stand and the son of the town's mayor, he believed that he _should _be chosen.

When the man reached Cearul, her heart sped up, anxious to see how they would all know that it was her brother, her twin, that would be their next king. She could see that Zoisite felt it as well. The man stopped and placed the stone inside her brother's hand. He closed the boy's fingers around it, patted them for a moment and then stepped back.

Soft green light spurted from between Cearul's fingers. Siobhan's breath caught and her eyes shown, but the light faded almost as quickly as it had started. Zoisite waited a moment, and Siobhan could tell by the set of his shoulders that he was expecting something more to happen.

Cearul's eyes sought out her own, and she saw the pleaing in his eyes. Something was going wrong, and she could not understand what it was. She took a step towards him, but felt her father's hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

She reached out towards her twin, offering her what support that she could. "Come on, Cearul… let it happen."

His eyes remained locked on hers, and he nodded slightly. He took a deep breath and squeezed his hands around the stone.

It did respond. Green light once again came from between Cearul's fingers, and he opened his hand as the light bloomed. Zoisite took a step towards him, and Siobhan felt her heart speeding up, felt like she was flying as she watched her brother be exalted.

Only, suddenly the king had turned from her brother and was staring at her. Her brother's eyes were wide as he stared at her, a smile twitching at his lips, and she realized that everyone was staring at her.

"Well." The king's voice was marked by amusement. "This is unprecedented. Young lady, please, come forth."

Siobhan looked around, confused. Her father leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Go up there. It's ok."

She swallowed and moved onto the stage, not understanding what was going on. Her brother's eyes were full of pride, though she expected him to be resentful. Somehow, though she did not quite comprehend it, she was stealing his moment.

Zoisite turned for a moment and gently lifted the stone from Cearul's hands, and took Siobhan's, placing it in her own.

Before she could protest, Cearul once again clasped his hands in front of his chest and smiled.

That one gesture set her at ease, and she looked down at the stone, her world, for just one moment, centering on this seemingly normal gemstone. It flared up a third time, and she felt herself enveloped in light, felt the temperature around her drop, felt as if she were encased in ice. Instead of pain, she felt whole and complete.

When the light faded, the king was kneeling before her, not one knee in pledge, but on both, a father and grandfather who knew how to put kids at ease.

"It won't be easy. People are going to have questions; there's going to be resistance. But I'll support you." The man's smile was warm and comforting, and he gently took the stone back from her hands. "You're not quite ready for it yet. I might miss my brothers, but I won't join them until you're ready to take your place. And you can still say no."

Siobhan did not understand the import of those words, but she nodded, accepting the comfort that he offered.

He looked between the two and grinned, "And I see no reason why your brother cannot come as well. You won't be together as often as you'd like. But there are more positions to train for at the Palace than just that of the Shitennou."


	2. Chapter 2

Zoisite bowed briefly as he entered Theseus' study, his right hand clenched in a fist over his heart in salute.

Theseus laughed and moved to him, "Rise, Old Man. So… you're home. Does that mean that the final guardian of my son has been found?"

He nodded, "It does. I warn you, Theseus, I do not necessarily plan to wait until you lay down your own burden to relinquish mine. Five years of training, and if the child is ready… I will hand over the stone and take my place with my brothers."

"Are you so eager to leave me? To abandon myself and the North? To a child who will be… how old at the time?" Theseus frowned as he took his seat, gesturing for Zoisite to the same.

"You're being petulant. If the child is ready, I will pass over, and only if." Zoisite took the offered seat, "I have carried on in someone else's place long enough, and while I know that you miss Gregor, missing one brother is nothing like the pain I bear of missing all of my brethren. Besides, Theseus, you will miss me, but I have never been the ideal for you-I've been an uncle in a bond that calls for brotherhood. Would it be so horrible for you to be the uncle for a while?"

Theseus sighed at the memory of Gregor and shook his head, "No… though to be honest, I'm not sure how much longer any of us have. Endymion was born late. We're fortunate I did not have to seek for an heir the way you yourself did."

Aretz had been thought infertile, and Theseus refused to put away his wife or entertain mistresses just to have an heir. Fortunately, the Golden Crystal did not require a direct line of descent, and so the kingdom had been content to wait, though not all were kind to Aretz for her seeming failure. When she conceived and did not lose the child, the couple had been ecstatic, and when Endymion had been born, healthy and male, their private celebration had eclipsed any festival held by the people.

Zoisite did not protest. The fact that all of the Shitennou had now brought their replacements to the palace to train suggested that the time was not exceedingly far off, though the eldest was only ten.

"So… enough somber thoughts. Tell me of my son's final brother? From which region of the North did he come?" Theseus' eyes glowed with expectation and excitement. Now that all four were gathered, they would bond, and in a few months, if everything went well, the Priest would come to make the bond a real and living entity.

"Eire. But there is something you should know, Theseus. My heir is a bit of a surprise, and we will have to deal with the controversy the next Zoisite brings to the kingdom. In this, I require that you support me and the Northern Heir." There were few times that one of the Shitennou could make out right demands upon the High King, but Zoisite was well in his right to make such a demand now, and Theseus knew he could not refuse it.

Theseus frowned, "I cannot remember the last time such a demand has needed to be made. Even without the official bond between us. What is the issue, Jean?"

Zoisite smiled, it had been a long time since his given name was freely used outside of his own family, since the death of his first heir and then that of his brothers. "Come… it will be easier if you see it for yourself. I've not yet introduced my heir to the others, because I want you to be aware of what is afoot first." He stood and Theseus followed suit, an eyebrow raised.

"It's so bad that you feel a need to protect the lad from his future brothers? You're scaring me." There was a touch of laughter in the king's voice, and Zoisite knew that the other man did not trust the severity of the situation.

That all changed the moment he entered Zoisite's suite and saw a young girl dressed in the training uniform of a Shitennou.

"This is some kind of joke?" Theseus frowned as he turned from the young girl back to his oldest guardian. "Very funny, but this is a lass."

Zoisite smirked but placed his stone in her hands and stepped back. The light, which Siobhan had come to relish, once again burst forth from the stone, and Theseus wrapped his arms around himself in an attempt to keep from freezing.

"Gaia chose a girl…" The king sighed, "You did not need to demand me to support this. Gaia's will is clear, and I can feel the Golden Crystal responding to her." He shook his head, "This was not a battle I ever foresaw having to fight in my lifetime. Aretz will be beside herself though."

He knelt before the girl and gently laid a hand over hers, the Golden Crystal reacting to control the power of the north. "You are going to force us to advance faster than I believe we're ready for. But you will have the full support of the crown."

"Take her to meet her brothers, Zoisite, but do not ease that transition. They must accept her on their own if she is to be accepted by the people or the ceremony is to take." The king's voice was weary, but Zoisite, who had held him upon his birth and nursed him through his first rejection by a girl, knew full well that the weariness had traces of hope in it.

"Keep her away from Aretz, too. She'll be well intentioned, but she'll smother the poor thing. She still wants a daughter."

He shook his head, smirking as he imagined his wife's reaction. He'd talk to her first, make sure she understood that this girl was to be treated like the other Shitennou trainees, at least for now. "Your name, girl?"

"Siobhan, Sire." Her voice was strong, though there was a trace of uncertainty in it, and considering everything, Theseus would have been concerned if she was not a little fearful.

"Good luck, Siobhan."


	3. Chapter 3

Siobhan was nervous, but she was desperately trying not to let that show. Zoisite had warned her that this part would not be easy, that the boys might not accept her at first. The King had told him not to ease the transition, and Siobhan wondered what it would take to make them accept her and tried not to think about what would happen if they didn't.

She followed Zoisite to the set of rooms that she would be sharing with the four boys that she did not know. As she walked, she forced herself not to pull at the unfamiliar fabric. It was not a bad uniform, though it did not fit perfectly, but the material was unlike anything her mother had ever made, stiff and coarse, and an almost dreary dark grey.

The woman who had picked out the best fitting pieces and taken her measurements for a set of her own had provided Siobhan her first real glimpse of the difficulties that lay before her.

_Siobhan stood very still as the matronly woman ran a measuring tape up her legs and around her waist. "It isn't right. Such a thing as yourself, with those blonde curls and green eyes should be being fitted for dresses and learning how to be a proper lady. Leave all the nonsense of fighting to the men." _

"_And what, going to be raised the rest of the way with four boys. They say they'll be brothers, but a girl in a bachelor house can only bring one thing, no matter how good a girl she is." The woman shook her head, mumbling to herself as if Siobhan could not hear her. _

"_It won't even be your fault. Nor will it matter if you turn down their advances. They'll fight amongst themselves for your favor, just you wait." Her plump hands moved to measure her chest, "And these uniforms are simply not made to accommodate a woman! And who will teach you woman lure? All the things you'll need to know as you grow. No, this just isn't right. Not right at all."_

_Siobhan, confused as to what the woman was talking about, was about to ask her if she knew that she wasn't deaf. However, she was prevented from asking that question by Lord Zoisite entering the room._

"_Maeve, that's enough. She does not need you planting doubt into her head." His voice was stern, though Siobhan noticed that he had not lost any of the warmth._

"_I'm not poisoning the girl, mi'lord. But you know, as well as I do, that it just isn't right." The woman stood and squared her shoulders, and Siobhan wondered who exactly this woman was that she had the right to challenge a king._

"_I know no such thing, Maeve. If you think you can do a better job at selecting a prince than Gaia, then I suppose that you are more than free to argue with her choice. Otherwise, I'd suggest that you give the girl a chance before you pass any judgments." Siobhan looked closely at Lord Zoisite and frowned slightly. There was amusement in his face and eyes, despite the fact that he had promised her that this would be difficult._

_Maeve sighed, apparently defeated, and moved over to pick out a few pieces of clothing from a pile. "You're sure Gaia chose her?"_

"_I am, Maeve." The steel was back in his voice again, "I'm not so old or senile that I could be mistaken about this. Theseus will confirm it when he meets her."_

"_Well, in that case… she can have some of Tuon's castoffs until I can get a few sets made for her." She turned her attention to Siobhan, as if noticing that she was there and alert for the first time, "I know these will be a bit big, dear, but I'll have you a couple of sets of your own in a matter of days. If Tuon gives you a hard time about it still being edged in Blue, remind him he'd had to wear Rust the first week himself."_

_Siobhan nodded, thinking that was the first bit of helpful advice on how to deal with the other boys she'd gotten, and from a woman who did not seem to approve. "Thank you."_

"_You're welcome, girl." The woman smiled to her. "Good luck to you."_

"All right, lass, we're here. I'm not allowed to help you, and the king is right in that, but I will say this to you. Just be yourself." Zoisite smiled and ruffled her hair a bit before opening the door.

"Gentlemen!"

The three boys lounging inside the common room snapped to attention, fists raising to hearts, and Siobhan saw that they weren't that much older than herself. Yet they already instinctively came to attention. She wondered, not for the first time, what exactly the training would be like.

None of them were immaculate in their dress or appearance, but Zoisite did not seem concerned with that. Their eyes, however, were all fixed firmly on the eldest of the Shitennou. He, however, spoke to Siobhan, "As you can see, in your own quarters-both shared and private-certain requirements are relaxed. In these rooms, uniforms do not have to be perfect, hair can be lose, shoes left off. In these rooms, you are allowed, to a certain degree, to be the children that you are."

Siobhan took a moment, while Zoisite held the other three at attention, to examine them. The youngest, only a few months older than herself if she were any judge, had short blonde hair, and of his uniform, he wore only the pants with a blue shirt. He was only a touch bigger than her, and she could tell by the way his hand twitched that he was desperate to be allowed to see who it was that Zoisite had brought.

Beside him was a tall boy, a few years older than herself, with long white hair and grey eyes. His grey-trimmed uniform was on, but the jacket hung casually open. His posture betrayed little curiosity, but there was a muscle in his jaw that twitched, and she had to keep from laughing. He might have more control than the other, but he was just as curious.

The last of the boys was the same height as the second, perhaps half an inch shorter, and close to the same age. His hair was also long, but a brown color that almost matched the rust of the uniform jacket that lay over the back of the couch and the pants that were rolled up to his knees. She could see that the corners of his lips refused to stay down as he tried not to express his own feelings.

"All right, gentlemen. That's enough exercise in self-control for the time being. Tuon, I'll be speaking to Lord Jadeite about your hands. You need to learn more subtlety if you have to express yourself when at attention." Lord Zoisite smirked, "At ease."

The three boys relaxed. Actually, two of the boys relaxed. If the white-haired one did, Siobhan could not tell.

"Gentlemen, I'd like for you to meet Siobhan, Prince of the North." He smiled and stepped aside so that they could focus on the newest of their number.

"Siobhan, this is Tuon, Prince of the East; Karan, Prince of the South; and Nascha; Prince of the West." He grinned, curious to see how things would play out, but knowing full well that his presence would hinder that. "I leave you all to get acquainted. Karan, I trust that you'll introduce Siobhan to Endymion."

Karan nodded, "Aye, sir."

"Good day then."

Zoisite turned to leave the room when he heard Tuon exclaim, "She can't be the Prince of the North! She's a girl!"

He looked over his shoulder, "Glad to see you have basic observational skills, Tuon." With a smirk he strode out of the room and shut the door behind him.

Siobhan tried to emulate Karan. She was nervous, but was not entirely sure that she wanted the boys to know that.

The moment the door was closed, Tuon was stalking around her. "A girl? They've got to be kidding." He rolled his eyes and poked her shoulder, "Look, there's a lot of stuff we get judged on as a group. You better be able to keep up. Girl or not."

He got in her face, his eyes narrowing as he studied her. "And of course now we're all going to get girl cooties… ugh." He moved back to the chair where his own jacket was slung, "Come on, Nascha, I was in the middle of kicking your butt in stones."

Nascha had watched quietly as Tuon "examined" her. "Tuon, you held us back for two months, and still sometimes do. That's part of the point of group work, idiot." He rolled his eyes and thwapped the blonde on the head as he moved over to Siobhan.

"He really is an idiot. The only one of us who is actually heir to his own father. It gives him a big head, but he's a good guy. An idiot though."

"Hey!" Tuon glared at Nascha, who simply shrugged.

"Anyway, welcome. Your room…" He gestured to the door with the symbol of the north, a green Telwas, a simple arrow pointing up, on the door. "We don't go into each other's rooms unless invited. This is the common area. We eat most of our meals in here." He gestured to a door opposite the one she'd come in, "Our gardens. They're private, just for our use. We sometimes train on our own out there, but it's really more for recreation."

Siobhan nodded and smiled, "Thanks."

"Ugh, Nascha, don't you even care that she's a giiirl?" Tuon's voice sounded slightly whiny, and Siobhan bit her lip as she undid her jacket.

"Gaia chose her, so what does it matter?" Nascha shrugged and moved back to the couch.

Karan had been quiet, but when Siobhan glanced at him, she noticed that his eyebrow had steadily climbed. Finally, he spoke, though it was to Nascha not her. "You knew."

Nascha looked up and shrugged again, "Yeah."

Shaking his head, Karan looked to Siobhan, "We're not going to go easy on you. Prove yourself worthy of the uniform and the rune of a warrior, and then you can call yourself one of us."

With grace that Siobhan thought unnatural, the tall boy lowered himself onto the other end of the couch, picking up the book he must have been reading when Zoisite had brought her.

"Wait?" Tuon's voice was no longer a whine, but rather indignant. "You knew! You knew our final brother would be a sister, and you didn't tell us?" He slammed his fist down on the table, disturbing the stones that sat on the board.

Looking up, Nascha shook his head, "You're just mad that you're loosing. Yes, I knew. Yes, I kept my own council. Deal with it."

"Deal with it! You deal with it!" Tuon stood and moved around the table, getting in Nascha's face. Siobhan glanced over to see Karan sigh and set his book down, ready to intervene if necessary. "We're a team, remember. You don't keep things like that to yourself!"

Rolling his eyes, Nascha pushed Tuon onto his ass, "It would not have changed anything, asshole. She'd still be here, and you'd still be being an idiot about it."

"Because it's not right! We're supposed to be _brothers_, boys! Hello. Don't they teach you anything in your tribe, dumbass?" Tuon had stood back up and tried, Siobhan noticed ineffectually, to push Nascha back, but the taller boy was sitting and not moved.

Instead, he simply pushed Tuon onto his butt again, "You're pressing your luck, Tuon."

"He does have a point. He's not making it well, but he does have a point." Karan's voice was even, and Siobhan realized that she cared much more about his opinion than Tuon's, and even perhaps, a bit more than Nascha's despite the fact that he seemed to be on her side.

"It would not have changed anything. And I cannot tell you everything the stars tell me." He shrugged, his glare turning from Tuon to Karan, changing as he turned from anger to stubborn determination.

"Perhaps, but forewarned is forearmed." Karan simply shook his head as Tuon stood a third time.

"Forearmed about what?" A bright voice entered the conversation, and Siobhan turned to see a black haired boy with deep blue eyes enter the room. Logic told her this was Endymion, but she was pretty sure she'd have known that regardless. There was an energy that radiated from him, similar to what she'd felt when his father had helped her control the power of the Zoisite-stone.

"Your final guardian, Endymion." Karan stood and gestured to Siobhan.

Tuon spat the words out, "A girl."

"Siobhan." Siobhan saluted the boy, dropping to one knee.

Endymion laughed, "Oh, gods, I hate that. Stand up. Seriously, none of you dolts told her not to do that?" He shook his head and moved to her, holding his hand out, "I'm Endymion, though I guess you know that. I'm glad you're here. Though now I understand why there's a feast tonight! Oh yeah, I was told to tell you all, formal wear." He turned to look at Siobhan, "You don't even have your own uniform yet though…"

Nascha chuckled, "Formal wear was the first thing each of us received, Endymion. I'm sure Maeve will be by with her black uniform soon enough."

"I bet it's a skirt…" Tuon sneered, looking smug with his comment.

"I doubt it, Tuon. Maeve is far more intelligent than that." Karan's voice betrayed just the slightest amount of annoyance, though Siobhan was sure that had more to do with Tuon's attitude than any acceptance of her.

Deflated, Tuon slouched back into the chair he'd previously vacated to attack Nascha, "I don't see why we're having a feast for _her_. She's just a _girl."_

Endymion frowned, "We had a feast for each of you… why wouldn't we have one for Siobhan? And then there's a second one tomorrow night to celebrate that all four of you are here! Two feasts in a row!" Siobhan could not help but smile. Regardless of what the other three thought, it was clear that the Prince accepted her.


	4. Chapter 4

Siobhan stood at attention alongside the boys, her light grey uniform pressed and neat, her hair braided neatly down her back. Across from them stood four men, including Zoisite. They all wore white uniforms trimmed with gold, but unlike what Zoisite had worn on the day he found her, their cloaks were gold, lined with their regions color.

"Zoisite, are you absolutely determined to go through with this?" Nephrite frowned as he looked at the girl. She seemed fit enough, and, given that she had not yet had any training, her posture was acceptable, but none of that changed the fact that there was a girl in the training uniform of a Shitennou.

Zoisite shook his head, "It's not a question of what I am or am not determined to do. Gaia chose her."

The man whose skin was a much deeper tan than Nascha's shook his head, "I do not like it. You said that the stone also responded to her twin? A boy, I believe."

"You and I both know that the stones will respond to anyone with power, but the response was weak. He would make a knight or commander, but not a Shitennou. Nephrite, you're being stubborn." Zoisite's words were calm, measured, but his eyes reflected some degree of frustration and annoyance.

"She's a girl! What other response did you look for?" Nephrite turned to face Zoisite, ignoring the quartet of trainees who stood across from him. "Do you want to serve a third king? Is that what this is? A plot to hold onto your position for another generation."

Kunzite quickly stepped between them, facing Nephrite, "That's a ridiculous accusation and you know it, Nephrite. Zoisite has suffered more than any of us from the loss of Gregor."

"And he's born a burden we all know the weight of for far too long." Jadeite's tone was long-suffering, as if he was more than used to playing referee. "We miss one brother; he longs for four. No, there is no reason he would chose to remain in this purgatory any longer than necessary."

Nephrite's jaw tightened, but then slowly the tension drained, "That was out of line. My apologies, Zoisite. If they fail…"

Jadeite shrugged, "If they fail, we retest them. If Gaia is still determined that these are the four, then we try again in a year." He smirked slightly, ignoring the way his son's own smirk had faded into a scowl as he focused on his own teammates.

"And if I command you to find someone else?" Nephrite's voice still held a note of challenge as he looked over Kunzite's shoulder to Zoisite.

Zoisite shook his head, "I obey Gaia in this matter. Not you."

"As if you've ever obeyed me, Old Man… all right… but I still don't like it."

Kunzite smirked, "I doubt you're going to be the only one who feels that way."

The four then turned their attention back to the trainees and Nephrite addressed them, "All right… I suppose you four won't entirely embarrass us tonight. Fall in."

Siobhan was in a daze as she followed at the end of the line. The feast tonight might have been about her, but after watching the debate among the Shitennou over her, the last thing she wanted was to be center of attention. If even one of the Shitennou doubted her, did she really stand a chance?

As she was introduced to hesitant applause and confused expressions, she felt something stirring in her. The lords and ladies of the Golden Kingdom were gathered, and most all of them looked at her as if she were some kind of cosmic joke. She realized that they all expected her to fail, and she decided that she would prove them wrong. She stood straighter, and when she sat back down with the other boys-Endymion having joined them once they reached the banquet hall-she knew that she would win their approval, and they would be brothers, whether they liked it or not!

They ate mostly in silence, being too intent on eating to talk, though Endymion seemed to be able to eat and talk at the same time.

"Dad said we'll try the ceremony in three months-on the Summer Solstice. I have only been to Elysian once, and I don't remember it, since I was a little kid." Nascha snorted and Karan rose an eyebrow, but neither corrected the prince. "Dad says it's beautiful. He says that the blessed dead are there and that they live on and never really die. He says that's where all our dreams come from too, and that if the bond works, even we get old and die, we'll all be there together."

Tuon couldn't help but laugh, and Siobhan had already noticed that the boy seemed quite happier when the prince was around. "I've never been, but I know Dad goes with the others once a year. He always comes back… weird…"

Endymion was hooked and leaned his elbows on the table, leaning over to hear Tuon better, "Weird how?"

Karan gently pulled the prince back by the collar of his shirt, "Manners, Endymion."

"Oh… sorry…" He smiled to the oldest of them and then looked back to Tuon, "Weird how?"

Shaking his head, "Like… he feels happy and sad at the same time. I don't know. It's just weird."

Siobhan frowned, "Wait, how do you know how your dad feels?"

Tuon shrugged and didn't answer, turning his attention back to his food.

"Tuon is an empath. That's why he started training when he did." Karan's answer was straightforward, but at least the older boy had said something to her.

"Oh." She nodded as if that explained everything, despite the fact that she was completely lost.

Chuckling, Nascha leaned over, "It means he can feel other people's feelings, and sometimes hear their thoughts. There hasn't been a Shitennou with empathy in years."

"Or stargazing, Nascha. I'm not the only freak here!" Tuon's voice did not carry past the table, but the intensity was almost a physical blow to Siobhan.

Nascha shrugged, "I never said you were a freak, Tuon. Look at us. Destiny has something big in store for the five of us… I'm not sure what, but it's exciting."

Siobhan was lost as she looked around the table. Wasn't the fact that they were the future Shitennou and High King enough for destiny? What more could it want.


	5. Chapter 5

They were woken early, but Siobhan was used to getting up early. In a small village, no one slept past dawn. She had gotten up, dressed, and made her bed, when she heard a pounding at her door.

"Siobhan! If you're not up already, you need to be getting up. Whoever has pulled morning training duty will be here in five minutes." She smirked at the panic in Nascha's voice and figured that the older boy felt bad for not having gotten her up sooner or drilled her more thoroughly after the second night of feasting-this time in honor of all four of them.

She did not say anything, but checked her still borrowed uniform in the mirror and stepped out of her room. "Thanks, but I'm ready now."

Siobhan was learning how to read her colleagues, at least a little bit, and she was convinced that the slight upward curve on Karan's features meant that he was impressed. She smiled and took a seat, "So… um… what exactly is training like?"

Karan shook his head slightly, "It's about making us ready for our duty. Physically, mentally, emotionally. It's demanding, and they don't care about ideas such as 'fairness'."

Rolling his eyes, Nascha finished putting on his boots. "It's not that bad. I mean, technically, Karan's right, but it can be fun. We get a full education, though I'm guessing it might be a while before you start normal lessons."

Before Siobhan could ask what he meant, Tuon came into the room. While he was dressed sharply, he did not look like he was fully awake quite yet. "Why do we have to be ready so early? Morning exercises would do the exact same thing at a reasonable hour."

His boots on, Nascha stood laughing, "It's character building, or something."

The door opened and the three boys snapped to attention immediately. Siobhan followed only a moment behind.

"Good morning, ladies. Well, I see our little princess managed to get up in time and get dressed. If that's supposed to impress me, I'm sorry to disappoint." Siobhan frowned slightly, Nephrite had made it clear that he was completely opposed to her presence, so she was not completely surprised-except that even Ethan could throw better insults than that.

"Since we have the new girl, we're going to do five clicks, individually this morning. That way you won't have to wait on her to finish before you all can start your own breakfast."

Siobhan frowned, not entirely understanding what he meant. She supposed they would be racing for five clicks, and she remembered that Tuon had warned her against holding them back, but she had expected something much harder.

She realized that Nephrite was watching her, and he smiled as he moved to stand in front of her, "Something wrong, Siobhan?"

"No, sir." She shook her head slightly, looking up at his eyes. He did not look mean, just harsh, and she wondered why.

"Is there a question then? Did I not make myself clear?" Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she caught a slight hand motion from Nascha, and wondered what exactly he was trying to tell her.

"It's just a five click race?"

"Yes, and you always address me or my bothers as sir."

"Yes, sir." Siobhan nodded slightly.

"Well, let's get started." He smiled, looking triumphant as he lead the four of them outside. Once they were lined up outside he smiled, "Siobhan, just follow the others. If they get so far ahead of you that you cannot see them, the course is marked with red ribbons."

Frowning, she nodded.

Siobhan had raced plenty in Eire, and she'd learned that for long distant races, one did not go as fast as possible. Sprinting would simply not win the race or beat the bully, and she had decided that Nephrite was being as big a bully as Ethan had ever been.

The older boys were bigger and had longer legs. Their strides were such that she did not even try to catch up with them, but rather focused on her own running. She passed Tuon before the end of the first click, and while she could hear him close behind her, she managed to get a few meters ahead of him. When she crossed the end of the course behind Karan and Nascha, but a good thirty seconds ahead of Tuon, the look of shock on Nephrite's face was all the victory she needed.

Karan nodded to her, the small smile she'd seen that morning growing into something more easily recognizable. When Tuon crossed the line, scowling, Nascha had laughed, "Tuon, you were all worried about a girl holding us back. Looks like there was nothing for you to worry about after all. You're still the slowest."

The blond boy grumbled, shooting a hateful glance at Siobhan before turning his glare onto Nascha. "I'm still faster than Endymion!"

Karan shook his head, "Enough, you two. Tuon, your time has improved greatly." He turned to the still stunned Nephrite and bowed, "Lord Nephrite, if we may be excused to breakfast now?"

The man nodded and waved, "Go on. After breakfast, you and Nascha will meet with Kunzite for sword work. Tuon, Siobhan, you'll be meeting with your mentors. You might can run girl, but we'll see how you do after a day with the stone."

Tuon groaned, but Nascha clapped his hand on his shoulder as they headed towards the mess hall, "You'll be joining us soon enough, Tuon. You just have to stop resisting."

Siobhan followed behind, wondering what that was about as Karan walked beside her. "You did well. Survive today, and you might just have what it takes."

She looked up at him, "I don't understand."

"You will." He smiled to her, and Siobhan believed that maybe she had already won the apparent leader of their group over.


	6. Chapter 6

"He wants her to fail." Nascha growled as he hit the locker door, eliciting a raised eyebrow from his companion.

"Why would he want that?" The white-haired boy pulled his hair back, seemingly impassionate as always.

"You heard him the other night! And today! I don't know why, but he obviously does." He sighed and sat down, adding the weights to his ankles.

Karan shook his head, "I think it's more that he believes she will."

Nascha looked up at Karan, "And that's better how?"

The older boy shrugged, "Perhaps it means that he would actually like for her to succeed?"

The brunette snorted and straightened up.

Karan simply raised an eyebrow again before continuing, "They don't want us to go through what they did, and they want Lord Zoisite to be at peace eventually. Therefore, Siobhan is dangerous."

"Gregory gave his life for Theoden. He did not fail." There were times that Nascha hated the man who should have been Lord Zoisite simply because of the way his ghost seemed to haunt them all.

"But in doing so, he abandoned his brothers, left Lord Nephrite with a burden which never should have been his, and kept Lord Zoisite from finding peace with his own brothers." Karan's voice was calm, but Nascha had the feeling of being a small, slow child.

"That was not his fault…"

"No." Karan agreed, and that made Nascha nervous, "but that does not change the facts of the matter. Siobhan, for no fault of her own, came at a bad time."

Standing and shaking his head, he started to head into the salle with Karan, "And you? What is your position on her?"

Karan shrugged, "She has to prove herself, just as you and Tuon did."

Nascha stopped and stared at Karan, "Wait! I didn't have to prove myself. You were only here a week before me!"

A raised eyebrow and a smirk were his only response.

He rolled his own eyes, "That was different."

"To me at 6? Not really." Karan shrugged slightly, "If it helps, she's showing promise. But there is still much to be seen."

Once they entered the salle, they moved over to the racks of weapons, each taking a moment to choose one to his liking.

"Why is it so important to you that she succeed?" Karan seemed disinterested as he tried a sword, but Nascha knew better.

"The stars told me about her, and honestly, in my tribe, the only thing a girl is ever taught she cannot be is a king, one of us. I suppose I'd just like to see that changed." He shrugged and hoped that Karan bought that lie.

Nothing more was said on the matter once Kunzite entered and changed their blades.

"You'll each have a sword specifically made for you, balanced for you, but there may come a time in which you have to use an inferior sword. A true swordsman can work with even the poorest blade." Nascha was convinced that Lord Kunzite actually lay awake at night inventing new ways to torment them. He envisioned him laying aside Lady Jasmine and asking her what she thought of his new torments.

Nascha had to focus to use the sword that Kunzite had chosen for him. It was tip heavy, and he was tiring quickly, especially since he had not yet adjusted to the weights that he was made to wear. At least he did not have to run in them yet, unlike Karan.

He was not completely surprised when Karan managed to disarm him and force him to the mat. Before he could get up, Karan pressed his own blade lightly against Nascha's throat, "I do not like being lied to, Nascha. You know that."

Blinking, Nascha watched as Karan stood and then held his hand out to him to help him up. His words were low, but Nascha knew that he had hurt the other boy, "I won't press you for now, but eventually, I'll need to know what exactly the stars told you."

Nascha sighed and nodded, but did not let go of Karan's hand when the other pulled away, "Soon. And I'm sorry."

Karan nodded, "I trust you, Nascha. This doesn't change that."


	7. Chapter 7

"Eat."

Siobhan blinked as she felt a hand shake her shoulder. "You need to eat. Trust me."

It took her a moment to realize that she had nodded off at the table. She forced herself to look at Nascha and then at the food on her plate. "Not hungry."

Tuon sighed, "You are. You're just too tired to realize it."

The girl blinked at the boy across from her. Was he actually being friendly? She started to ask him who he was and what he'd done with Tuon, when she noticed that he looked rather tired himself.

"Is it always so tiring? I don't see how I'm supposed to ever do anything with it if it is." She picked up her fork and pushed at the vegetables, completely disinterested in the greens.

"No." Karan shook his head, "You're working a muscle you did not even know you had. Like any muscle, it'll strengthen, and you'll be fine."

Siobhan looked up from her plate; her eyes darting between Tuon and Karan. "You're both being nice to me. I must be in worse shape than I realized."

"See if I'm ever nice to you again, if this is how you react to it!" Tuon's voice was raw, and Siobhan found herself actually feeling a bit shamed. He huffed as he picked at his own food, though she noticed that he was actually eating.

"Enough squabbling." Karan spoke with quiet authority, "Siobhan, eat. Trust us."

She sighed and forced herself to poke a piece of broccoli with a fork and put it in her mouth. Frowning, she forced herself to chew it, but the taste was almost non-existent. When she swallowed, she put the fork down and shook her head, "There's no taste…" She knew her voice was whiney, but was too tired to care.

Nascha picked up her fork and grabbed some meat with it, "It's a side effect. It'll get better. Now eat." He held the fork to her, but she refused to take it, simply glaring at him.

The older boy seemed to smirk a bit, "Karan?"

"Permission granted, Nascha. Tuon, help him. If she's smart, she won't make me get involved…" He raised an eyebrow as Siobhan turned to look at him, but before she could ask what was going on, Tuon had come around the table and was holding her arms at her side, and Nascha was holding the fork at her mouth.

Nascha was grinning widely, "Open up, Siobhan. There is an alternative worse than being force fed, and I assure you, you do not want to find out what it is."

Whimpering and knowing that she was too tired to fight Tuon, much less all three of them, she opened her mouth and allowed Nascha to feed her a couple of bites before Tuon let her go and huffed, "She'll eat on her own now."

Siobhan nodded, and Nascha handed the fork back to her. She smiled and took a bite, having come to be able to ignore the tastelessness of what she was eating.

"It does get better." Nascha was still smiling as he turned back to his own food. "You're not used to working with the stone or magic. Eventually, we're supposed to be able to do it without needing the stones at all, but I think even Karan and I are still working towards that."

Karan nodded, "It'll come. And for now, just know that you did well today."

It might have been difficult to eat under such close scrutiny, and as tired as she was, there was little energy to spare for anything else. Yet, she managed a small smile. She was exhausted and mostly numb, but somehow, she'd managed to survive the day.


	8. Chapter 8

For the next few weeks, everyday had the same basic pattern. There would be some form of physical training before breakfast-usually running-and then afterwards, she would spend the rest of the day with Zoisite, learning how to control the stone and her own power.

It was absolutely exhausting. She had not seen Cearul since the feasts, and even then they had barely gotten to do more than wave at each other. She had stopped caring about whether the others would accept her or not, as she simply had no energy to spend thinking about that. All she did was get up in the morning, run, eat breakfast, and then spend a grueling day with Lord Zoisite before being forced to eat dinner and collapsing into bed.

It was almost impossible for Siobhan to imagine that there were children who envied her. If they had any idea what exactly it meant to be a Shitennou, or at least a Shitennou in training, they would be very glad it was her and not them.

That morning, Tuon had finished the run a few steps ahead of her. It was not a lot, a couple of seconds, but Tuon was positively celebratory, and Siobhan was too tired to care. She'd smiled, congratulated him, and completely ignored his taunts.

"You did well today." Lord Zoisite's voice held a touch of pride in it, and Siobhan blinked, not sure to what he could be referring.

"I did?" She frowned, her brow wrinkling slightly as she tried to puzzle over her mentor's words, tried to understand why he wasn't pressing the piece of Zoisite into her hand or running her through centering exercises.

His smile was warm as he gestured her to take a seat on the cushion set on the floor for her. "Do you really not know what you did?"

Siobhan's frown deepened as she sat cross legged on the cushion, trying to think. After a moment, she shook her head, "No."

Zoisite laughed, "You ignored Tuon's taunts. I wonder now if that was the mark of maturity I thought or just a sign that you're exhausted."

He laughed before she could apologize for her failure. "Perhaps you do need a rest day. I'll talk to Nephrite about it, and perhaps I'll lighten the load a bit today."

She frowned, afraid that he thought her a weakling. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not." Zoisite sat down opposite the girl, his legs also crossed as if for meditation. "There is no virtue in such pretense. But neither is there any virtue in me working you into such a state either. I sometimes forget how hard this is. It's been a very long time since I had to learn these lessons."

"I don't understand. Why do I work so hard at freezing a glass of water? Is… is Lord Nephrite right? Is it not supposed to be me?"

Again, Zoisite laughed, "You work so hard to freeze so little because you have no control. Your power, the power of the North, is to draw energy… heat. You do not feel it, so you do not realize how cold you can make a room. You have the power. But real power lies in control, in finesse."

Siobhan looked towards the glass of water that sat between them and sighed. "Oh."

"Relax. It's not an impossible task. You'll get it." He gestured towards the cup, the water in it freezing instantaneously. "However, one cannot be expected to have such control if she's barely awake. Today, we'll simply meditate."

Siobhan nodded, trying hard not to frown more. There was nothing "simple" about meditating.


End file.
